What do people in finance do all day?
A Day in the Life. A financial analyst is responsible for a wide range of activities including gathering data, organizing information, analyzing historical results, making forecasts and projections, making recommendations, and generating Excel models, presentations, and reports.
You'll analyze financial data to help people or organizations make the best financial decisions possible, and you'll offer solutions to help improve their financial situations.
The job searching site, Indeed, defines finance as a field that, “… involves the management of money and how an individual, company, or government agency acquires and spends money. This field might include activities like investing, saving, borrowing, lending, and budgeting money.”
Around 50 to 60 hours a week is normal for this job. Hours may increase when significant deadlines come up (quarterly and annual financial reports).
Unsurprisingly, it was respondents in investment banking (which includes M&A and capital markets), who had some of the highest working hours in the industry.
Financial careers often involve high barriers to entry, stiff competition among applicants, and a lot of stress. Still, these jobs offer numerous perks, including a challenging work environment, interaction with highly motivated and intelligent colleagues, opportunities for advancement, and excellent pay.
Finance can be a fiercely competitive field. It's a famously high-paying industry known to deal out six or seven figures in salaries and bonuses for those at the top. Even those on the bottom rung can expect to start at a good wage compared with other fields.
Finance professionals also earn above-average salaries. BLS data indicates that personal financial advisors earned a median annual income of nearly $95,390 as of 2022, more than double the median annual salary for all occupations nationwide.
- Financial analyst. A financial analyst — sometimes called a business analyst — uses financial data to guide business decisions. ...
- Personal financial adviser. ...
- Accountant. ...
- Loan officer. ...
- Insurance sales agent. ...
- Budget analyst. ...
- Auditor. ...
- Tax specialist.
Salaries in the finance industry
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statics (BLS), careers in finance pay a median salary of $76,850 — 66% higher than the median salary for all occupations in the nation ($46,310).
Is finance a stable career?
The short, simple answer is: Yes, finance is still a good career path, but it will probably not be as good relative to other careers as it has been over the past few decades. If you are at a top university or business school, have the qualifications, and start early, that's fine.
1. Investment Banker. Roles in investing banking are highly sought after. For investment bankers, it's often a higher competition to land a role in one of the largest firms.
Finance is not always a stressful career, but for the highest-earning jobs it can be. Long hours and an “always on call” mentality can be extremely stressful for finance professionals, especially those dealing with global markets.
You don't need an MBA to work in finance, but the field is highly competitive, especially at the entry-level. Internships offer experience, exposure, and a tryout for a full-time gig.
- Account executive. Account executives handle many tasks, including building client relationships, identifying new clients and maintaining accounts. ...
- Communication specialist. ...
- Customer service representative. ...
- Dog walker. ...
- Freelance writer. ...
- Gig drivers. ...
- Graphic designer. ...
- Personal trainer.
Occupation | Hours |
---|---|
Chemical scientists | 40 |
Chief executives and senior officials | 36 |
Civil engineers | 38 |
Conservation professionals | 39 |
- Competitive job market: While finance is in high demand, it's also a competitive field with many qualified candidates. ...
- Stressful work environment: High-paying finance positions often come with high stress due to heavy workloads, tight deadlines, and long hours.
📈 According to a study by the Myers-Briggs Company, introverts make up 56.8% of financial professionals, while extroverts make up 43.2%. This means that there are plenty of introverted financial professionals out there who have achieved success in their field.
Believe it or not, mastery of advanced math skills is not necessary to have a career in finance. With today's technology, all math-related tasks can be done by computers and calculators. That said, there are some basic math skills that would certainly make you a better candidate in the finance industry.
The top 5 highest paying jobs in finance are investment banking, hedge fund management, CFO roles, private equity, and actuarial positions. These careers typically offer substantial salaries and the potential for significant bonuses.
Does finance pay more than accounting?
Both finance and accounting degrees offer a range of well-paying job prospects. That said, the average starting salary is slightly higher for finance vs accounting degrees.
While both finance and accounting can be difficult majors, accounting is considered more difficult because it requires more discipline and a lot of math. Accounting is more complex because it relies on precise sets of arithmetic principles.
However, this is just a simple misperception that many students have in the finance study. It is true that knowing math is essential because finance actually is about studying the flow of money. However, that doesn't mean you need a high level of mathematics skills like Calculus.
What Finance Roles Pay the Most? Finance roles that typically pay the most include positions such as investment banking managing directors, hedge fund managers, or private equity partners. Chief financial officers (CFOs) of large corporations are also highly paid positions.
Increasing Income
There is a reason people in finance who work in private equity or a hedge fund make millions. These industries make money by investing in companies, and after a certain level you get an equity stake in the profits of the firm through carried interest.